


Crazy

by yavannauk



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Episode Tag, M/M, Pre-Slash, Snippets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-03
Updated: 2006-02-03
Packaged: 2017-11-25 00:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/633057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yavannauk/pseuds/yavannauk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney decides that losing his mind might not be such a bad thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crazy

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little post Duet ficlet.

Sheppard was sitting in a chair near his bed when Rodney opened his eyes again, taking in the all too familiar surroundings of the infirmary. Rodney blinked in surprise; he hadn't expected anyone to stay while he slept, not now that everything was back to normal. That made him think of Cadman and Rodney glanced over at the bed to his right. It was empty.

"Carson discharged her a couple of hours ago," Sheppard said in answer to the unspoken question. "So, how are you feeling?"

Taking a quick mental inventory, Rodney nodded in approval. 

"I'm fine, feeling like myself again. Though I'm sure I'll feel even better when I can get out of here and back to my own quarters. These beds are hell on my back." Rodney's voice hitched just a little as he recalled where he'd ended up the last time he'd fallen asleep in his own bed. At least he could be certain there wouldn't be any further embarrassing sleepwalking incidents.

Apparently, Sheppard had noticed his momentary discomfiture, because he was leaning forward, a worried frown creasing his forehead. "Are you sure you're okay, Rodney? I can get Carson, if you like."

Rodney shook his head, a sudden flush heating his cheeks. "Trust me, Carson is the last person I want to see right now."

Sheppard quirked a smile at him. "Right, I guess things would be a bit weird between the two of you since, well, you know..."

"Believe me, I know only too well," Rodney said snappishly. "And weird would be something of an understatement, Colonel."

"But that was Cadman, right?" Sheppard asked, his frown suddenly making an appearance again.

Rodney wished Sheppard would leave that particular subject alone. It wasn't something he cared to dwell on; especially since he'd discovered that Cadman had used his body to pay Carson a visit that Rodney had absolutely no memory of. Sheppard, however, was nothing if not persistent.

"I mean, you weren't the one who wanted to lay one on Carson, were you?" he pressed.

"I don't know why you're so interested in what happened," Rodney said unhappily. "But let me assure you, I personally had, and continue to have, no desire to kiss Carson. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Apparently, it was. Rodney's answer seemed to make Sheppard relax and he nodded and smiled. "Yeah, that's good, Rodney. It's all good."

An unpleasant possibility crossed Rodney's mind and he fixed Sheppard with a sharp stare. "I hope this isn't a case of military inspired homophobia coming to the fore, Colonel. I'd always thought better of you."

Sheppard's eyes widened, a startled look crossing his face. The expression smoothed out into something that looked a lot like hurt.

"God, no! I thought you knew me better than that," he said finally.

"So did I," Rodney said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But what else am I supposed to think when you just won't let this go?"

Sheppard didn't seem to have an answer and his eyes wouldn't meet Rodney's. He appeared to have developed a sudden fascination with the floor.

With a frown, Rodney reached out, impatiently tapping Sheppard's arm to bring his attention back to him. "All right, this is ridiculous! Why exactly are you so concerned about whether it was me or Cadman who wanted to kiss Carson, then?"

Sheppard looked uncomfortable and, for a second, Rodney was sure he'd laugh it off and finally change the subject. Instead, to Rodney's surprise, Sheppard slid his chair closer to the bed, leaning in so that there was no chance of his words being overheard.

"Rodney, for a genius you can be damned unobservant sometimes," he said, scowling.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rodney stared at Sheppard, honestly puzzled.

"Jeez, I have no idea how you ever get a date," Sheppard muttered.

Rodney tried to protest that he'd managed to get a date with Katie Brown - although she'd actually asked him, but that was beside the point; as was the fact that the entire evening had been a disaster, which Rodney could only partially blame Cadman for - but Sheppard waved aside his attempt to speak.

"I can't believe you're making me say this, Rodney," Sheppard continued, with a sigh.

"What? Colonel, I may be a genius, but I really don't have the ability to read your mind... thank God!" Rodney's voice came out sharp and too loud and Sheppard shushed him frantically.

"Okay," Sheppard said, taking a deep breath.

Rodney looked at him expectantly.

"It's just that..." Sheppard hesitated again. "If it was you who was in charge of the whole near-death, totally inappropriate PDAs situation, I kinda hoped it would, well, be me that you chose to kiss, not Carson."

Rodney had never seen John Sheppard blush and it was... oddly endearing. And, God, he was obviously as insane as Sheppard clearly was, because if he were in his right mind he certainly wouldn't be using words like endearing to describe Sheppard. Rodney opened his mouth to tell Sheppard exactly how crazy he was, but nothing came out and there weren't many things that could leave Rodney McKay at a total loss for words, but apparently Sheppard had found one of them.

"Say something!" Sheppard hissed as Rodney continued to sit and gape at him, doing his best impression of a fish out of water.

Eventually, Rodney shut his mouth with an audible snap. "Are you completely out of your mind?"

The half-expectant, half-hopeful look faded from Sheppard's eyes in an instant and he hurriedly began to rise from the chair. "I'm sorry, Rodney. I shouldn't have... I can't believe I actually..."

"What? Where are you going?" Rodney grabbed Sheppard's wrist and tugged until he sat down again. "You do not say something like that and then just walk away! Some of us need a little time to process a bombshell like that."

"But you said I had to be out of my mind," Sheppard said, his brows drawing together as he looked across at Rodney. "I know how to take a hint."

Rodney sighed. "I didn't mean it that way! I think you're crazy to say something like this now; when we have Caldwell and his cronies looking over our shoulders to remind us about 'don't ask, don't tell'."

"Then you didn't mean..." The hopeful look was back on Sheppard's face again as he waited for Rodney to elaborate.

"As much as it pains me to boost your ego, Colonel, I am not averse to the idea of kissing you," Rodney said with a hint of amusement in his voice. And maybe losing his mind wouldn't be so bad if he was in such good company. "Though I must admit I'd always thought that my ass would make the acquaintance of the floor very quickly if I tried laying one on you, as you so quaintly put it."

Sheppard's expression visibly brightened. "So, it's something you've thought about?"

"Do you really want to have this conversation here?" Rodney asked with a smirk.

"Maybe not," Sheppard conceded, shifting in his seat.

"Well then, if I can contain my embarrassment long enough for Carson to let me out of here, I'm sure we have a lot to talk about, Colonel," Rodney said with a smile.

"Stay right there!" Sheppard pointed an imperious finger at him then hurriedly disappeared, presumably in search of Carson.

Settling back against his pillow, Rodney allowed his smile to grow. Cadman might not have done much for his love life where women were concerned, but for this Rodney definitely owed her a word of thanks.


End file.
